22Apr
Washington, DC – Common Defense, the nation’s largest grassroots organization of veterans and military families, stands in full support of Senator Mark Kelly in the face of vindictive efforts by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration to demote and censure him for telling service members the truth about unlawful orders.
“As a former Marine, I’ve missed birthdays, first days of school, and holidays because of my commitment to this country,” said Joanna Sweatt, an Arizona based Marine Corps veteran and National Organizing Director for Common Defense. “It’s deeply disturbing that this administration sees a reminder about unlawful orders as a threat. When veteran elected officials like Senator Kelly speak up to protect troops from being used as political pawns and then face retaliation for it, it sends a chilling message down the ranks. This isn’t about ‘holding him accountable’; it’s about silencing dissent and scaring other service members and veterans from saying anything that challenges those in power. As someone who wore the uniform, that terrifies me, because our troops need leaders who will stand up for the rule of law, not punish it.”
This campaign against Senator Kelly is not about accountability, it is about silencing dissent against the Trump administration. It is designed to send a message to every retired service member and every veteran in public life that speaking honestly about unlawful orders and constitutional limits will put a target on their back. That is a direct assault on the freedom of speech that Americans in uniform have sacrificed to defend.
Using the military justice system to intimidate dissenting veteran elected officials grossly politicizes the military and undermines good order and discipline from the top down. It weaponizes the UCMJ as a political tool, eroding the constitutional mission of the armed forces and blurring the line between civilian politics and military authority in ways that professional officers and enlisted leaders have long warned against.
Common Defense calls on elected officials of both parties, and on all veterans who care about the integrity of our armed forces, to condemn these retaliatory actions and to affirm, without hesitation, that no administration may use the military as a weapon against political opponents or against the Constitution itself.
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Common Defense Civic Engagement is the nation’s largest grassroots organization of veterans and military families. Founded in 2016, we organize to defend the Constitution, oppose Forever Wars, and fight for a democracy where liberty and justice truly exist for all.